the Depot of Cushing

This depot was acquired from the CB&Q by Mr. Charles Wagner, who put in a bid on the structure after the agency was closed and custodial service discontinued. The bottom story of the building was dismantled, with the second story (agent’s living quarters) being moved to his farm for machinery storage.

The father is deceased, with the farm being lived on by his son, Joe. Another son, Harold Wagner, lives close by. According to Harold, the depot was acquired by their father in the 1940’s. He and his sons dismantled and moved the structure with their own equipment. Wagner said his father moved buildings as a side-profession to farming.

Wagner said the depot roof was removed in sections and later reinstalled on the second story. The second story was then removed and taken to the farm, where it was positioned upon the depot’s 8″X8″ sills. The depot’s tin shingles were retained on the roof, while the windows that were taken out of the second story before moving it were later reinstalled. Some windows were filled in, while an outside-stairway door to the second story was retained on the structure’s east side. A door was added to the structure’s west side.

The depot is used to store machinery and tools. Some lumber from the dismantled portion of the building is still inside while the waiting room benches are there as well. The Wagners also had the old agent’s desk from the depot, but it was later sold.

Wagner said he moved the old CB&Q depot from Wolbach as well, this being done in the 1960’s for Lawrence Berney.

According to NSRC records, permission to discontinue the Cushing agency was granted on 2/6/40, while permission to discontinue custodian service was granted 10/5/42. The stations of Cushing and Brayton on the Burwell branchline were the first in the state to become dualized agencies on the CB&Q, with permission being granted by the NRSC on 12/7/31 for a six-month trial plan.

The agent would live at Brayton depot and would travel to Cushing to work there. Both depots would have custodians, with the custodian at Cushing living in the depot.

We are continuing to research further information about this and other depots and the communities they served. If you have any information you would like to share about this depot, community, or any other piece of Howard County history, please contact us, we would enjoy speaking with you.